Sideritis hyssopifolia 

'Mountain Tea'

[Ex. Pirineos Orientales 1900 m., Spain]

Lamiaceae: A woody based perennial to 40cm. Found on stony dry slopes. The flower stems bear up to ten whorls of crowded showy flowers, most frequently a luminous primrose yellow. Blooming from July-August. The leaves are hairy, and green. Native to South-western Europe, northwards to the Jura, at subalpine levels.

USES:

An aromatic herbal tea is made from the plant.

GROWING INFORMATION:

Surface sow spring in a greenhouse. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Requires a perfectly drained gritty humus-rich soil, preferably slightly alkaline, in full sun. Once established, this is a very drought-tolerant plant, it grows well in a hot dry position. This species is not hardy in the colder areas of the country. It tolerates temperatures down to between -5 and -10°C, but is intolerant of winter cold if this is accompanied by wet conditions. Rare in cultivation.

A good bee plant.

HARVESTED: 2019

 
APPROX. 35 SEEDS